Thursday, September 20, 2012

Hello Everyone!I'm looking forward to meeting everyone at the Library this Saturday, September 22 at 1:00pm. I'll share how I got started in fostering, a bit about the rescue and also how the average family can get involved in rescue!I'll also be bringing along my friend Lucky Jimmy so everyone can see what a great guy he is!If you cant make it to Oconomowoc, please join us next Saturday at Minooka Park in Waukesha at 10:00am for the First Official Fluffy Dog Charity Walk. Meet some people who are fosters, meet a bunch of foster dogs and come out and enjoy the weather!Next Sunday at 4:00pm, A Foster's Tail will in the Riverwest Area at The People's Books. I'll talk some more about fostering, rescuing and even read some from the book!In other exciting news ... I just found out that A Foster's Tail has made it across the pond. There are two lucky people who are reading our dog "tail" somewhere in the UK. That's pretty exciting stuff! Thank you to everyone who has helped us to get this far. Thank You to all of the independent book stores who have taken my books in and given them new homes!Looking forward to seeing many of you on Saturday at the Library!Those of you who cant make it, as you live further away, please private message me and let me know if there are independent book stores near you that I could visit!Thanks!PS - Dont forget to check out A Foster's Tail Facebook Page for pictures of the events but more importantly, THE DOGS!!

Thursday, September 6, 2012

WoW - It seemed so far away when we made the date but now that its here, I'm a starting to make sure I have all my ducks in a row. On Saturday, we'll be at Book World in Fond du Lac for Fondue Fest. The kids are so excited! They keep asking if they'll get to eat fondue. OH YEAH!!Fondue Fest in Fond du Lac Wisconsin is a city wide, shut down the streets party and we'll be there as a part of it. I'm hoping to arrive a little before 9:00am and stay til we run out of books. I'm not sure what else to tell you about it except we'll be there and hope you can come over too!While I am in Fond du Lac, my Travelling Author Board will be at Martifest. Martifest began seven years ago as a group of friends getting together and jamming for a night. It evolved into a fund-raising effort and over the course of the years, have raised over $33,000. Yeah, it's that awesome. There is food, a silent auction and yes, lots and lots of music. This year, look for A Foster's Tail on one of the tables. A portion of the sales goes back to the host and the rest to feed homeless dogs.I know that it may seems a ways off, but there are several events coming up in September, one in October and one in November already. Here's a quick run down so you can mark your calendar if I'm going to be near you.September 8 - Fondue Fest, Fond du Lac, WI - Book WorldSeptember 8 - Martifest - Traveling Author Board, Concord, WISeptember 22 - Oconomowoc Public Library - Hello to my Hometown. Hope you can all join me at 1:00pSeptember 29 - Minooka Park, Waukesha, WI - Fluffy Dog Walk - Come on out and meet some Fluffies and take a walk around Beautiful Minooka Park! We'll be there at 10amSeptember 30 - People's Books Co-op - 804 E. Center St., Milwaukee - Starts at 4:00p Going to be reading out of the book! Bring a tissue, I've picked out some good samples!October 16 - Book World Beaver Dam, WI - 25th Anniversary Celebration! 11am November 10 - Fireside Books, West Bend - Annual Holiday Kick-Off Party! Fun starts at 10:30am! So far, that's all I've got! Hope to see you at one of the events. I'm always on the look out for more cities and bookstores to go to. Next may be the Appleton - Green Bay Area! Also, I'm working on going to Illinois as well. Will keep you posted! Check back here or Check out our Facebook Page - A Foster's Tail.Thank You for Reading! Thank You for Thinking Rescue!

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Hard to believe its been a month since I've posted on this blog. I've been a bit busy lining up new book stores and events for you to visit!I've been visiting all over Wisconsin and placed books in a lot of stores.In the early part of August, the kids and I went to Minoqua & Eagle River and placed books at Book World's in both cities. We also had the awesome opportunity to be "on air" on WRJO with Menomonee Falls native, Mike Wolf.After our big radio debut, we drove a little further to Hazelhurst and caught up with our previous foster, Chancey. At first he didnt recognize the kids as both of them had grown so much since the last time he saw them. After a few treats, Chancey was much better. It is always so wonderful to see our foster's again.We've seen quite a few of them this summer. We stopped at Carter's house and hung out with his mom and later his dad for a bit. Karma was also here at The Lodge for a few days while her mom was away for work. At the first book event we did, several foster's came to cheer us on! Isabella, Carter & Teddy!More recently, we were a little closer to home in Beaver Dam. We met up with LueAnn and placed some books in her Beaver Dam Book World location. We will be there in October celebrating Book World's 25th Anniversary. Look for us there on Tuesday, October 16th at 11am. I'll also be interviewed on the Beaver Dam radio station but I have no times for you yet. Stay tuned, Beaver Dam!Here is the latest schedule of events for those who would like to come out and talk dog!Sat., Sept 8 - Fondue Fest, Fond du Lac - Book World, 9a - 12pSat., Sept 22 - Oconomowoc Public Library - 1p - 4pSat., Sept 29 - Minooka Park, Waukesha, WI - First Annual Fluffy Dog Walk - Come out and meet some Fluffies and learn how to become a foster mom to a needy pup!Sun., Sept 30 - People's Books Cooperative, 804 E. Center St., Milwaukee, 4p - 7pIf you have questions about a location or would like to see A Foster's Tail in a store near you, please email me at m.r.grade@gmail.comIf you're into Facebook, check out our Facebook Page for all the fun pictures and event reminders. Thank You for reading!!

Monday, July 30, 2012

WoW - Thank you all for coming over to the Taste of Lake Country book signing event over at End of the Leash on Saturday. We had a beautiful day with breezes coming off of Pewaukee Lake. The sights, smells and sounds from the party just down the block were incredible.I got my first email regarding back to school this morning from one of the kids principals at school. Man, just not ready for the chaos of getting everybody back to school. UGH.However, I know I cant speak for everybody but I've had enough of the hot and humid. I know I'll whine about how cold it is but for now I'm done.In August we'll work on putting some polish on the event kit. Maybe some better photos of the fosters in the album I have. Maybe some fancy stuff for the event table. I've got three dates for event lined up for September - 8th, 22nd & 29 - We'll be in Fond du Lac, Oconomowoc & The East Side of Milwaukee, respectively.I'm also going to be researching some other book stores in Wisconsin and Illinois. Maybe head over towards Oshkosh & Madison. Maybe head down towards Gurnee & Wheaton. I'm up for taking suggestions as well. What I'd really like to do is travel to Missouri and Alabama to meet the volunteers who start the ball rolling and sending the dogs northward.We're friends on Facebook but I would really like to get a flavor of how it really is down south.That's all I've got for today. Thank You for Reading! Thank You for Thinking Rescue!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

We started out with some rather dicey weather here in southeastern Wisconsin that turned into the most beautiful day up north!

On Highway 51, we watched (and laughed hysterically) when a crop duster plane, who was practicing his maneuvers, buzzed the oncoming traffic. I'm glad I was in the outgoing lane. Eek. Funny for us. Not so much those other guys.

In Minoqua, we left some books at the Book World and knocked around a bit. It's very pretty up there. Have been all over Wisconsin but never there. Very nice. We'll have to go back and stay longer. If you want to check out the store locations - click Book World

After that, we headed over to Eagle River and to a local radio station. A friend of mine is the Program Director for several stations and offered to put us all on the air and talk about the book. How cool was that? The DJ's name is Mike Wolf and the station is WRJO-Oldies. If you google it, you can listen online anywhere. The link is here - WRJO

The kids got a kick out of it and I guess I probably did too. The station is located inside an old bank building. Kiera was expecting it to look like the set from Frazier. Yeah, maybe in the big city.

After the interview we drove to bustling downtown Eagle River and dropped off some books the Book World - Check it out if if you're up there - Book World

The final destination of our trip was an old friend's house. Our foster dog, Chancey, if you remember him from the book, lives up there and we couldn't go all that way and not stop in to see him and his family. It was great to see them. At the outset, he didnt remember us. Who could blame him? Both kids have grown and changed significantly in three years - he growled a little at Connor. After some bribes of dog treats, Connor and Chancey were buddies again.

It was sad to leave all of our friends in the north, but we had to head home.

So here's to road trips, seeing old friends and bad Karaoke in the car. YIKES!

Thanks for reading and Hope to see you this weekend at Taste of Lake Country in Pewaukee on Saturday!

Saturday, July 21, 2012

The Promotions Department here at The Lodge asked me to remind everyone of all of A Foster's Tail's events coming up in future days. I said, "Yeah yeah, I'm on it."

I've been working on all kinds of stuff for everyone to see at the next couple of events. First of all, I'd like to thank my friends Pandy and Doris, who wrote Dancers at Heart, for the great example they set for me at the event we were at together. They came rolling up to Martha Merrell's and unfolded a whole lotta great stuff for their book. We had a little time while we people watched and I took a look at some of the fabulous things they brought along.

At the time, all I had was my great little Labrador bag that my friend Judy had sewn for me. I made the best of it but knew I should probably make a little more of an effort for the next event.

The next event is next weekend at Taste of Lake Country in Pewaukee. Saturday afternoon at 2:00pm at End of the Leash Store right on Wisconsin Avenue across from the beach. Hope you can come over for a bit!

I pulled some ideas together and came up with my own little event in a rolling backpack. I sewed a table cover for my table. Its kind of a wild print so it catches the eye. I've got a stand alone picture describing A Foster's Tail and a little bit about me, one for Facebook, and one for Pinterest.

I've also put together a Photo Album with pictures of the first twenty fosters. I went back and looked at my photo CDs and the previous blog posts and ... I have to admit, I got a little teared up. We've had some amazing dogs through our doors. The toughest dogs were, of course, the Labradors ...

The Labrador Phase started with Jasper, next was General Enzo, Sir, Denali, Axel, Cesar, Chocolate Will, and finally Carter. Such great dogs. And it wasnt just the Labs; they've all touched my heart in different ways.

I hope that you can come to one of the upcoming events. I'd love to meet you all in person and hear your stories. Every time I mention that we foster dogs, everyone has a story to tell. I should be writing them all down. They would make a great next book. No, there is not a next book on the desk just yet. I'm trying really hard to focus my energies on getting this one rolling, scheduling events and the like.

Here's the calendar as it stands on July 21. I may be adding more dates and times so stay tuned, watch the Facebook wall for info and pictures!

Saturday July 28 ... 2p - 6p - Taste of Lake Country at End of the Leash, 115 W. Wisconsin Ave., Pewaukee

Additionally, I'm working on getting some more books placed at some stores up in the Manitowoc Area and also, rumor has it I will be on the radio with Mike Wolf of WRJO doing a live interview. They broadcast online as well and I'll let you know what day & time.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Today I was in Mukwonago visiting with Susie who owns End of the Leash in both Mukwonago and Pewaukee to see if I could leave some books at her store. She invited A Foster's Tail, complete with a foster dog of my choice to come to their new store for an huge event on Saturday, July 28.

The event is for Taste of Lake Country and it officially kicks off on Friday night June 27 but A Foster's Tail wont be there until Saturday afternoon at 2:00pm. If you want to visit their link, Taste of Lake Country, to check it all out before handTaste of Lake Country 2012 - It looks like its going to be a really fun time!

If you live near either End of the Leash store in either Pewaukee or Mukwonago, check out their both their store and their blog (updated on Wednesdays) at End of the Leash Blog - The blog has all sorts of good stuff in it. The latest post has some helpful info about housetraining. Who couldn't use help with that??

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

After kind of a slow start to our Tuesday, the kids and I managed to get out (an hour late) and on the road to Fond du Lac. I've not been there before and have discovered it's quite nice!

I stopped in at a book store downtown but the owner wasnt in but I'll make some phone calls in the morning!

Another store I stopped at, the owner had some personal business to and I will have to check back there tomorrow as well.

However, if you are a Fond du Lac-ian or another city nearby, please stop in at Animal Outfitters at 661 Military Road. Be sure to check out their facebook page as well as their web page: http://www.animaloutfitters.com/

Cathy has a great selection of dog food, chewies, toys & clothes ie leashes, collars and t-shirts! Also some great stuff for the felines in your life as well. But wait! She has clothes for humans too! Awesome!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

We just got back from a fun weekend in the woods in a State Park West of Madison, WI. It's on the other side of a little town called Mt Horeb.

When you drive through, coming from the east, you'll need to go through not one, or two or even three, but four, yes, four roundabouts. I'm still spinning from all of the round-about-ing.

But once you get into Mt. Horeb, you'll discover all sorts of fun little shops, a restaurant or two and even a bookstore!! There was a fun little pub called "The Grumpy Troll" which, had we not had the dogs along, I would have loved to have gone into.

If you're looking for a day of fun in Wisconsin, I would recommend this area. First hit The Cave of the Mounds. Go ahead and google it but please, come back here. After you visit there, you'll need some lunch and you can head into downtown Mt. Horeb at The Grumpy Troll - just report back to me and let me know how it is.

If you're into hitting local bookstores, I would definitely recommend The Prairie Bookstore. They've got all the top sellers, a bargain back room and a loads and loads of books. Plus they have a few copies of "A Foster's Tail".

Just in case you're into travel, I'm putting the list on here of all the stores/businesses that are carrying "A Foster's Tail." If you dont see it where you live, please contact me, privately, and I'll see what I can do!

It's always going to be posted on the side bar to the right, go ahead and look, there it is!

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Around here the kids got out of school, helped lead at Vacation Bible School at Church, one went to DC, one got covered in about 90 bites which turned out to be spider bites (AcK) and at present we are putting our garage back together. My husband cleaned, filled the pits created by the salt from the Wisconsin Winters, etched and painted the almost forty year old garage floor. Oh, and my son added sparkles too.

It's been busy around here.

Whew!

On Friday Night, we attended Friday Night Live in Downtown Waukesha. (This is the start of the apology). I am so sorry I got so caught up I forgot to post it here on the blog. I did put up a couple of little ditties on the Facebook wall if you're on there and caught that. Wait, you havent seen the Facebook wall yet? Go to www.facebook.com and type A Foster's Tail into the search box.

I've got pictures from all of the events and pictures of the previous fosters, who are in the book, as well. If you have a moment, please check it out and like it. I'm hoping to have 150 likes by Labor Day in September.

If you havent been here to the blog for a while, you'll notice that I've added some features like where to purchase "A Foster's Tail" and a quick little biography about me. If money is a little tight right now, and you're lucky if it isnt, there is a copy available at The Oconomowoc Public Library. I just checked and the copy is available.

If you have an unsigned copy of "A Foster's Tail" or dont have a copy, please come to the Stone Bank Fourth of July Parade on Wednesday, and we can fix either of those situations for you!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

I'm going to begin by saying Thank You, again, to everyone who attended our first official book signing about a week ago. We've gotten so many wonderful emails with comments from you, Thank You. Dog people, animal people, rescue people, are the best. We're hoping to keep that momentum rolling and invite friends to our next book signing event. It is Saturday, May 12 at Tribeca Gallerycafe & Books in Watertown, WI.

Many have asked if there will be a supplemental book with pictures of our Fluffy Friends from their time here at The Lodge. I can honestly say, I've thought about it and I'm not opposed to it. Keep your eyes peeled. I do have lots of old videos of the dogs playing and wrestling and generally carrying on and I'm going to start posting those for your viewing pleasure.

Click over to www.youtube.com (after you read this post, of course :D ), type afosterstail in to the search box and you'll find a video of Fiona, a current foster dog, playing with our cat, Hawk.

If you've read the book, you know who Hawk is and how he fits into The Lodge's rehabilitation puzzle. I've got to do some digging through my archived photos and videos and will start putting those on soon!

I'll be sure to alert everyone via Twitter (afosterstail) and Facebook (Page - A Foster's Tail) when I've put a new video up for you! Check it out! If you are a Facebooker, please like the page on Facebook.

We're heading west for this event but I'm hoping to head east, to Waukesha for the next one. Martha Merrells participates in the Friday Night Live Events from June to September. I'm hoping to participate as well! I'll keep you posted on our times there too!

Thank you again for your positive comments to all things "Tail". It's been a fun ride and I'm looking forward to more!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Thank you for coming to meet me and purchase your copy of "A Foster's Tail" last Saturday. It was so wonderful to see everyone and visit for a moment or two. I wish I would have had time to stop and talk for more than five minutes to each of you.

Thank you for the well wishes, the handshakes and the hugs. This was truly an amazing experience. Thank you for being a part of it.

For those who were lucky enough to be there when it happened, seeing our cover girl, Isabella now Ella, walk through the door was the ultimate highlight of my day. The first night we brought that naked, scared, starved dog home, I wasnt really sure that we could really "fix" her.

Physically, I knew that her body would heal and the hair would grow back. Mentally, I just wasnt sure about what was going to happen; how far we would be able to take her forward. Seeing her walk in with her mom, no, seeing her DRAG her mom in to The Doggy Bag on Saturday, was a testament to what love and patience can do.

In the six months she was at our home, we fixed a lot of stuff, but there was a lot of stuff that needed fixing. In the time that followed, she moved to her furever home and continued to grow. No, she hasnt gotten any larger, well, she has gained weight and her muscle tone is phenomenal. Let's give her beautiful long coat a sentence of its own, shall we?

That dog was the same entity that arrived on that balmy September night but it wasnt the same dog. This was a whole new dog who has grown and matured and realized that there's more to life than an eight by eight foot enclosure. Way to go family! Thank you for loving her.

Another highlight for us was our buddy Carter. He too has grown, gotten taller and filled out. He looks amazing. I didnt see it but he remembered my son and I hope you were lucky enough to see him knock Connor over and lick his face. I hope somebody got that with a camera.

The third amazing transformation pup that came in was Harley-Teddy-Pippin, the Powderpuff Chinese Crested. His owner drove over him with the car and left a gash on his leg. The gash went from his hip to his ankle, if you will. We patched him up and he was adopted. Every time he sees me he gets all crazy and runs around like mad! What a happy little guy!

Thank you again for visiting us on Saturday. I'm looking forward to meeting more of you in Watertown at Tribeca Gallerycafe (at Fourth and Main) on Saturday May, 12 from 10a - 1p.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

The other day the delivery guy brought me three big boxes of books. I decided that that would be rather cumbersome to haul them to The Doggy Bag (150 E. Wisconsin Ave., Ocon) on Saturday (April 21 from 1p - 3p), so I unboxed them and put them into smaller, more portable boxes.

Here they are friends! I cant wait to share them with you and have you share them with your doggy loving friends!! Do you have Facebook? Can you "like" "A Foster's Tail" main page and share our book signing events? I would love that. If you are in the area, our next even will be at Tribeca Gallery Cafe & Gifts in Watertown. I'll post more info next week - but mark your calendars, it is Saturday May 12 at 10a.

In addition to the book signing event we are hoping to have some Fluffy Dogs from Fluffy Dog Rescue for you to meet! I know that Bubbles-Ali and Wynne-Fiona will be there too!

Here they are, nearly live from The Lodge, my other babies, my official/unofficial fostering handbook:

I had some time Saturday morning while waiting for the rain to stop so I could run the dogs so I stopped in over at cafe press and created some personalized logos. This is just one of the creations! If you'd like to see more, check out the store at http://www.cafepress.com/afosterstail

Hope to see you all on Saturday, if you arent able to come on Saturday, please join us on Saturday, May 12 at Tribeca in Watertown. If you dont live in the area, but would still love a book, please visit: https://www.createspace.com/Customer/3818853 - Password: Isabella

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Coming this weekend,April 21, it's all I can talk about here at The Lodge, or anywhere I go, The book signing Event is this weekend at The Doggy Bag at 150 E. Wisconsin Ave., in Oconomowoc. We'll be there from 1p - 3p - I hope you can come over and say hi!

After the event, we're all going over to Lakerz to listen to Brooklynn perform her new CD! Her manager tells me that they have awesome pizza there - YUM!

While waiting for the rain to stop this morning, I was creating some fun little logo'd items on cafe press. I think I want the water bottle and the reusable tote bag.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Thank You Thank You Thank You to my friends & family for the support over the past eighteen months. Some of you knew what I was up to; others came in when I was almost finished writing. Everyone has been on board since I've finished and have been waiting for this day.

I've been a writer my whole life and this is in the top five most exciting things I've ever done.

For those of you in the Lake Country and Surrounding Areas, I'm inviting you to come to my first book signing event on Saturday, April 21 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at The Doggy Bag in Downtown Oconomowoc.

If you have some time to spend afterwards, please join us at Laker's Sports Bar, just four doors down, for Brooklynn Marti's CD Release Party. This is her third CD and it's called "It's Time".

Brooklynn's extended family have been like family to me and my family since I was about three years old. They know all the dogs from my childhood and if pressed, I'm sure they could recall some memories of each of them. I'm thrilled to be working with this very talented woman and her band.

I'm looking forward to meeting a lot of you, too!

If you don't live in the Lake Country Area but are interested in a copy of the book, please visit:

(For those of you who don't know, our cover girl is Isabella, the Bearded Collie. I wont spoil it by telling you her story her but know that in our opinion, she benefitted the most out of any dog who lived at The Lodge)

It will be available on Amazon within a week or so but it takes a little longer to create that link. If you are an Amazon fan and have a Kindle/Kindle App, "A Foster's Tail" is available for your e-reader too!

Thank You again to all of my friends for all your love and support during this process. It has been the most incredible learning experience for me (and my family).

Hoping to see you on the 21st at The Doggy Bag in Downtown Oconomowoc,

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Ok, Fluffy Fans! I've worked hard all week and was able to deliver "A Foster's Tail" to you before the end of the month. It is presently available to you only online to be delivered to your home. To order:

In about a week or so the book will be available via Amazon.com to purchase a paperback copy. Right now, you are able to purchase a Kindle version of the book.

When I receive the copies I ordered, I purchased 75 to start, they will definitely be available at The Doggy Bag in Downtown Oconomowoc and Books & Company, also in Oconomowoc.

If you live in southeastern Wisconsin or even Central Wisconsin, and would like to see the book or maybe even invite me over for a book signing, please let me know. I would love to drive over and meet everyone!

Thank you for your patience and support! Looking forward to seeing pictures of your rescue dogs on the "A Foster's Tail" Facebook page!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I posted about the Kindle release of "A Foster's Tail."

Thank you to the folks who purchased it and have read it on your Kindles and Kindle Reader Apps.

For those of you who don't have those electronic toys just yet, or you prefer your good old fashioned paperback book, I've been working hard to bring it to you.

I am self publishing this book and have learned loads through this process. Like when the website tells you to load a picture of certain parameters, you probably should or your book cover is going to look like "dukey". (I have remedied that earlier this week and now the Kindle Cover is an exact match of the paperback cover.)

I submitted the whole book last week and got approval to order a proof. The proof came two days early and I spent yesterday going over it. Once I get approval from the website people, I will be ordering another proof just to be sure it is what I want and then, then, I will order copies to pass out to local businesses and some not quite so local businesses.

It will be available online as a Kindle at Amazon.com - Actually it has been available since February 29. The paperback will be available at local pet and book stores and I'll let you know those when we get a little closer. If you don't live in the Lake Country Area, and I know that my friends down south would have a long commute, it will be available at Amazon.com as well as this storefront:

You will be able to purchase the book through CreateSpace before Amazon, as it takes a little more time to get the Amazon page up and rolling. Feel free to check the CreateSpace storefront out. I'm pretty excited about it.

I'll make sure to make announcements here and on Facebook (A Foster's Tail), when it is all officially official.

That's all the news I have for now. Again, thank you to our friends who have already read the book. Thank you to the Facebook friends as well. I'm hoping that if you have a Fluffy Dog or even a rescue dog, that you might have a moment to put their picture on the wall. If you've read the book, please private message me too! I love to read to those and I will repost (anonymously) your comment.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Hey - Do you know what?? I forgot it was Leap Year. I thought the book was supposed to be ready today. Hey, guess what, if you have a Kindle ... IT IS!! (The paperback version should be available in a couple weeks. I'm working on that project.) So, if you have a Kindle, or the free Kindle app for your smart phone or other device, go to Amazon.com and plug in "A Foster's Tail".

Also, for those of you in the Lake Country Area, when the paperback comes out, yes, it will be available at The Doggy Bag in Downtown Oconomowoc .

Saturday, February 25, 2012

You have all been so kind to me and have checked out the Facebook Page and "liked" it that I want to thank you and treat you to one last snippet before we release the book. We didn't quite make it to 150 likes but maybe, just maybe an extra piece of the puzzle will encourage the shyer Facebook fans to click that cyber button (please).

"Sometimes I can be a bit naive and my “silver lining” optimism gets the best of me.This was one of those times.When the director told me that a breeder wanted to get out of the breeding business and wanted to relinquish her dogs, I was all on board.I looked up the breed online and discovered how beautiful, energetic and wonderful Bearded Collies were.I saw pictures of dogs with long, flowing hair.They were perfectly groomed, at a perfect weight and smiling as they played and bounced with other dogs.

My husband, who is a bit more of a realist, advised me otherwise.“No,” he said, “these dogs won’t be like that.These dogs are probably kept outside all of the time and won’t know anything about being in the house.They won’t be able to climb the stairs and they probably aren’t housetrained.”

What did he know?Before he met me, and before we adopted Andie, he’d never had his own dog for more than a minute.Besides, even if they were everything he said, we could still housetrain a dog, we could teach it to use the stairs.

“I don’t know, Shelly.”

It’s no use trying to argue with me when I know I’m right.I suppose it’s that way with everyone.I was convinced that the dogs we were receiving from this loving, caring woman from Missouri were cherished babes that she pampered and groomed until they shined like gold.They were house pets that respected indoor versus outdoor.They would run and play and frolic in the yard and they would all find homes in a heartbeat.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

At the time, we worked with a local grooming salon. This was the first point of contact that the fosters had with the dogs.Here the dogs were bathed, ears cleaned, nails cut before they went to their new temporary homes.

If you look up Bearded Collies on the internet, you will discover that they are called “bouncing Beardies” as they are so full of life and exuberance.They have beautiful grey and white or brown and white coats that, when properly taken care of, fly in the breeze with every bounce.

The dogs that we met that September night were anything but bouncing Beardies.They were severely malnourished.Their beautiful coats had been shaved to the skin because the breeder had not taken care of them.They were matted and smelly and it was easier to shave the hair than it was to try and brush it out.

This was just what we saw on the outside of the dogs.We would discover as time passed that the insides of the dogs were even more damaged than any amount of shaving could have ever done.

There were five dogs in kennels at the salon.The owner of the salon told us the names that the director had given them and a bit about their personalities.This one was pretty good, that one had a bad eye, this one is better than the rest, oh, and here, this one is yours.Yes, she is the most “messed up” of the dogs that came up.Yup, she’s yours.Her name is *****.

She opened the kennel door and out stepped the most pathetic looking beast I’d ever seen in my life.Not that I’m so worldly, because I’m not, but as a lifelong dog person it was heartbreaking to look at this dog.

She scrabbled out of the kennel and across the tile floor of the shop.It wasn’t so much walking, or running or any sort of locomotion I’d seen a dog perform before.It was rather like she was some sort of ballet dancer on her tiptoes, but instead of her tiptoes, she was on her nails.Instead of walking with poise, confidence and grace, she lowered her head, made herself small and travelled like this around the salon.

Eventually she wound up in the shampoo room, under the sanitary sink, with her legs wrapped around the legs of the tub.My husband went in to get her out.Later he confessed that that probably wasn’t the greatest idea he’d ever had.She could have turned on him and ripped his face to shreds."

Oh, darn, something must have gone wrong in the transfer of the document from my flash drive to the

Blog. It completely wiped out the dog's name. Awww... now for those of you who know who this naked doggie was, please, shhhhhh. It's supposed to be ateaser. But I think, that if you look really hard, you'll find the dog you're looking for ... (wait for it) somewhere on Facebook. Check it out - A Foster's Tail is the page.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Ok, so I've purchased the ISBNs for my new book. Initial plans are for Amazon's Kindle and a paperback to be purchased via Print on Demand from a website.

If you live in the Oconomowoc Area, I will be talking with Eric, the owner at The Doggy Bag in Downtown Oconomowoc. He wondered aloud on the "A Foster's Tail" Facebook wall if the book would be available at his store. I would certainly love to accomodate him (and you!)

Have you seen the Facebook for "A Foster's Tail"? If you have a chance, please stop by and click the "LIKE" button on the top of the page. We'd like to reach 150 fan likes by tomorrow.

How 'bout if there's one last sample of the book if we reach 150 fan likes! Tell you what...

As a show of good faith since at this moment, we are at 61 fan likes, I will give you a little video.

Go to Facebook, type, "A Foster's Tail" in the search box. When you reach the page, click the "LIKE" button on the top right of the page.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Ok, after promising an additional teaser for reaching 50 "likes" on Facebook and falling short last night, I got crackin this morning and waded through my edited manuscript. I've been changing things that my editor recommended I change and I've been tweaking here and there. Oh, in the meantime, worked on finding my remaining homeless foster dog a home.

So here is your second little teaser. We're coming down to the wire here and I'm hopeful I'll still be able to get this to you in both epublication format and a physical book format. Just need to get the writing wrinkles ironed out first.

I'm thinking that it would be fun to see 150 "likes" on Facebook by next Friday, February 24. Do you think we could do? Can you be bribed? How about I promise another snippet?

This little blurb is about Zootee - our Standard Poodle!

Most of the dogs that arrive at my house through rescue are underfed, un-housetrained and unneutered.There are few exceptions.Some of the dogs are even more pathetic.The longer haired dogs are most often shaved as they are so matted.It’s just easier to take it all off and start over fresh.

Zoot was a standard poodle who came to us like that.Mostly starved, presumably beaten, he was shaved to the skin.His coat color, we were to find out later, was apricot.All we could see was his pink skin with less than a quarter of an inch of hair to keep him covered.

Underneath that pink skin you could count his ribs.He was such a hideous mess that our neighbor didn’t recognize the breed when he stopped over one of the first afternoons we had Zootee.“What the hell is that?” he asked.

He didn’t believe me when I told him that Zoot was a Standard Poodle.He was a shaved, 20 pounds underweight, Standard Poodle.

We rarely know the “stories” where the dogs come from.Generally perhaps, we know.This one came from Ohio.A lot of the dogs don’t like men.A few don’t like women.It seems that the greater majority of rescue dogs like kids.That’s it.The rest of the story we make up.When Zootee slept, he tucked his underweight frame into a teeny little ball.His docked tail was between his legs and his nose was touching his tail between his hind feet.

Despite his past, he was a proud dog.He walked with his head and tail up.He walked nicely on a leash and was always up for a walk and a sniff around the neighborhood.

I picked him up from the doggy daycare on Saturday and by the next Wednesday, he had gone to the S.N.I.P. Clinic and was neutered.On Friday, we packed the crew, Mocha, Te’a and our two-day post-surgical Standard Poodle and drove to ChippewaFalls for the Labor Day Weekend.

Yes, we were the only ones in the campground with a Standard Poodle.No, it really didn’t faze him to be gawked at. I’m pretty sure he liked all the attention, plus the walks around the park at night provided heavenly smells!

It was a standard camping trip. I had taken along the “Foster Dog” blanket for Zoot to sleep on. It was an old king-sized bedspread I had picked up at a local thrift store and washed it and laid it out for each new foster to sleep on when they arrived at the house.

I wasn’t really thinking about it but it was early September in the Northwoods. It was cold at night.I slept in a toasty warm sleeping bag with my jacket on and a sweatshirt underneath.

I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why this dog wouldn’t settle at night.I figured it was because he was just uncomfortable.Well, yeah, he was uncomfortable. He was cold.

On the last night, I had an epiphany. I had him lie down on a corner of the blanket and I wrapped him up in it.He never moved the whole night.Sorry, buddy, promise I’ll do better next time. I had no idea at the time, but I had set a precedent in future sleeping arrangements.His new mom tucks in him and his new brother, another Standard Poodle from our rescue, into their blankies every night.

The next two weeks passed pretty much without incident.He ate like a horse and put on a few pounds.By the time he left my house, at the end of three weeks, he was sleeping on his back, all four legs in the air.

His new mom wasn’t quite so sure how to go about “fattening” up a dog.Sure, she’d put plenty of dogs on diets but never had to overfeed one.

I guess she got it right because when I met them at a local dog park a few months later, he was quite plump and healthy looking.His hair had grown in and he was curly and poofy like a poodle should be.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Well, I've just heard back from my editor and she's all set. We're hoping to get together on Wednesday morning - should I invite her to The Lodge to experience the mayhem for herself?

After I get it all back, I'll go thru and correct her corrections and then hopefully get it all rolling and put it out there for you to read the whole thing.

I'm hoping to get it to you via an ebook format. At this time, it will be Kindle via Amazon. There has been a question or two about the availability for Nooks as well. I will have to look into that. Additionally, I know there are people who prefer the feel, the smell, the weight of an old fashioned paperback book. I am working on that too.

There is a print on demand link thru Amazon that one can order a book or three and they will print just those three books and ship it out to you within a couple days. That may be the way to go for a while. I know there are a few folks who would like a physical copy of the book. I'd like one for my shelf and for my friends and family who dont have the electronic toys.

Thank you to everyone who is saying kind things about the teaser I put up here for you all to read. I'm hoping you agree that the rest is just as good.

Thank you to my adoptive moms who sent me pictures of their boys and girls. There is a picture from Trixie-Pixie-Xena, Warrior Puppy's Mom and once I finish this I will post a whole slew of pictures from General Enzo, Sir's Mom and Chase's Mom. It's amazing what gorgeous beasts they have grown into.

I didnt think that Enzo could get anymore handsome but he has. Chase has filled out and become this stunning looking boy. And little Xena, she is still cute as a bug's ear but ready to play at the drop of a hat.

Have you checked out the Facebook Page - "A Foster's Tail" is the name of the page. I'll put up pictures there and once things get a little more under control, some pictures from the first Fluffy Dogs at Grade Lodge and maybe a video or two. If you can, I'm hoping for at least 50 "likes" by the end of the week - It's only six more people between now and Saturday. I bet we could pull it off. I'm hoping for a hundred likes by March 1, could you help with that?

Friday, February 3, 2012

Ok, so here it is. A little taste of the book for you to sample. A little snippet of what's to come. Are you in?

With a little luck and some patience it will be available March 1, 2012. Thanks for reading!!

In the Beginning

I’m a dog person.If I have to explain it to you, you probably aren’t one.A sketchy definition, you ask?I prefer the company of my dogs to your cats.I “get” dogs.Dogs “get” me.Cats?I’m never really sure what they are up to.Why are they skulking around after dark? Why am I afraid to do something that will tick off the cat for fear of feline retribution on my pillow?What’s the deal with their tails?Always looked like weird little furry worms to me.

Don’t get me wrong.I like cats.I live with three of them.I’ve shooed them off the counter and the table and the refrigerator and the stove more times than I could throw a stick for my Labradors.But I’m NOT a cat person.

Why do I prefer dogs over cats?A dog would never sit on the desk, soaking in the heat of the computer, blocking the screen with its fluffy shedding body.A dog wouldn’t refuse to move so that you have to push it and knock over a full 20-oz. glass of drink mix, causing you to stop what you are doing, get out the paper towels, get out the “spray stuff,” get out regular towels, and take off your socks because you stepped in the whole sticky mess.Then after walking around on the newly washed floor in bare feet, realize that you are tracking the whole sticky mess all around the kitchen.So, you stand there, stuck to the floor, spraying your feet with the “spray stuff” while your 13-year-old son looks at you like you’ve lost (yet another) marble.

No, I don’t think a dog would do that.A dog would be less covert about things and squat on the floor or lift his leg on the only upholstered chair in your living room.A dog would chase her tennis ball under the corner of your new leather couch and gnaw at it until she got the ball out.That’s what a dog would do.

As a kid, we always had a dog.Female Black Labradors.Never a male because they peed on the bushes and wrecked the grass.Always a female.Always a black one.Which, as a parent, I have to say is one of the best dog breeds for families.They are up for anything, including but not limited to, walks in drenching downpours or a run in a blinding Wisconsin snowstorm through your backyard neighbor’s front yard.Yup, nothing like a Labrador.A Lab can go on a hike on the bluffs around Devil’s Lake with you in the middle of July and still have energy left over to chase a tennis ball and swim enthusiastically for an hour and a half afterward.

When I was a baby, my dad brought home a lab mix pup from the neighbors of a family friend.That dog and I “grew up” together.Tag-a-long went on every adventure my family did.Camping, canoeing, hiking, you name it – that dog was there.She was tolerant and patient, the perfect family pet.She was also my dad’s best hunting partner.She could flush pheasants and retrieve ducks like no other.There are pictures from “the old days” of my dad and Tag and a half a dozen ring-necked pheasants laid neatly on the ground.My dad, with a full head of brown hair, holding his shotgun in one hand and arm around the dog with the other, wearing a smile that couldn’t be bribed off.

That dog was there for me to learn how to walk, pulling myself up on her fur. I’m sure that when my brother came along, she was a little out of sorts as this put her farther down the attention ladder.But like all family pets, she accepted her fate and tolerated the poked eyes, the tickled feet (and ears) and the rare tail pulling.

One of my favorite quotes about dogs is by Agnes Sligh Tumbull.She says, “Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.”

Time passes and children grow up.We watch our beloved pets graying and aging, knowing what is coming but are still surprised when that day comes.

One day, after hours of sledding on “The Hill,” we were walking home when Tag collapsed in the snow.My dad knelt down next to her and talked softly to keep her, and my brother and me, calm.I was about ten at the time and the thought of losing my dog was right up there with losing my grandpa.How could she be dying?Wasn’t she only ten years old, like me? As a kid, you’ve had this creature with you every day of your life, as close as skin.She was my sibling before my brother, my playmate, guardian, and my dad’s hunting pal.How could she be dying? What would I do? Who would I love?

My dad took her to the vet and was told that she had had a stroke.I guess a stroke isn’t so bad.We were able to fix her up with a baby aspirin a day and we were good to go again, mostly.She moved slowly, a bit arthritic in her hips, but that was to be expected of a ten-year-old dog.She still ate and drank and did all the things that a dog was supposed to do, where a dog was supposed to do it.

Not long after that, my dad told us that he was going to “go look at some puppies.”When it came to my dad and dogs, just looking at puppies and not bringing one home was a process easier said than done.There was an ad in the local paper for some black Lab puppies.A backyard breeder on the other side of town had a litter that he was looking for homes for.Sure enough, my dad came home with this wriggling, fuzzy black ball.His thinking was that if we had a second dog it wouldn’t be as hard on us when the time came when Tag-a-long had to cross over the RainbowBridge.Based on the way she was physically, it seemed to us, that dog could have gone any day.

But there we were, with two dogs, for two years.

They went on every family vacation near and far.Mostly it was canoe trips.We spent a lot of time camping on Wisconsin River sandbars, and the dogs got front seat in the bows of the canoes.We would paddle downriver for a couple of hours, find our “campsite” sandbar and set up our tents.The rest of the day would be spent swimming, floating downstream and running back upstream on the sandbar to do it all over again.

If you’ve had a Labrador for more than ten minutes, you know they love to swim almost as much as they love to eat.On these camping trips, our two dogs would be in and out of the water all day long.Somewhere around six o’clock, the kids would be dragged out of the water, sunburned and waterlogged.We’d have to “change out of those wet suits and go look for driftwood” so we could have a fire to cook our dinner.

The dogs would come with us. Sometimes helping carry the firewood.Mostly, just to get the opportunity to go splashing back in the water.Belle, the younger dog, had a thinner coat that dried quickly.Tag had a thick coat that held water like a wool sweater and smelled about as bad when it was wet.Wet dog hair sticks to everything, and everything sticks to it.

Crawling into your tent at bedtime, damp sand clinging to your sunburned shoulders and legs, easing your way into your sleeping bag; ooh, that smarts.The dog comes in behind you.She’s damp, more wet than dry, smelling like fish with sand sticking to every single strand of her fur.She shakes.Water, sand and dog hair are everywhere.There’s sand in your eyes, your ears and in your clothes, which are on top of a sunburned body.There’s a lot of shuffling from inside the tent which prompts a “What are you kids doing in there?” from Mom and Dad.

In Wisconsin, the weather can change in an instant and sometimes you wind up going to bed in a thunderstorm.A tiny, nylon two-person tent was our shelter. The only things I had for comfort were my younger brother (who smelled), an old, damp sandy dog, who was more unnerved than I when the thunder crashed, and an old boat cushion for a pillow.Don’t need a therapist to tell me why I’m not a big fan of thunderstorms.

Flash-forward two years.

Today is the day.Tag’s arthritis has gotten worse.She can’t see.She can’t hear.Poor thing plods along because she can hardly move.She has pressure wounds that wouldn’t heal on her “elbows” from lying on the concrete driveway.My dad told us, as gently as possible, he’s taking her to the vet and if there’s nothing more they can do for her, he was going to have to put her to sleep.

About the Author

From the time she was a little girl, Michelle Grade loved dogs; sometimes more than people. Dog people will understand. At one point in her educational career, she wanted to be a veterinarian but discovered she didn't want to sit still that long.
She became a wife, a mother, an employee at a job she thought wasn't half bad, she was a Sunday School teacher but something was still missing in her life. Enter, fostering stray dogs. Her house is always a wreck and there are always piles of clean and dirty laundry to manage but fostering filled that hole. These days it seems strange if the only dogs are the two resident dogs at The Lodge.
Through fostering she's made the most amazing friends, not only the wonderful people that adopt our fosters but also the other volunteers that work to bring them safely to their furever homes.
Thank you for thinking rescue. Thank you for reading.